7News has hired a former “Amazing Race” contestant, Kellie Patterson, to be a morning TV anchor. Patterson was previously a morning anchor at NBC affiliate WCNC Charlotte. She was a contestant on season 10 of CBS reality series “The Amazing Race” while a student at the University of South Carolina, where she and teammate Jamie were billed as “cheerleaders.”

Kellie & Jamie are southern beauties from Columbia, South Carolina who bring athleticism, intelligence and a sense of teamwork to the Race. They spent their college years as co-captains of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks cheerleading squad and have been best friends since the day they met.

Kellie, a senior at USC working to obtain her Bachelor of Arts in Broadcast Journalism, describes herself as being energetic and driven. Jamie was a member of the National Honor Society at USC, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in advertising. She currently works in film production. Outgoing and friendly, Jamie enjoys spending time with her family.

Both Kellie & Jamie are competitive and plan to use their good-natured personalities to help them get ahead. The girls are eager to experience the world outside of South Carolina and hope to be the first female Team to win THE AMAZING RACE.

That didn’t happen (they finished 10th), but the BA in broadcast journalism seems to have panned out.

Joanne Ostrow has been watching TV since before "reality" required quotation marks. "Hill Street Blues" was life-changing. If Dickens, Twain or Agatha Christie were alive today, they'd be writing for television. And proud of it.